EXPO Express

In Brief

Construction of the China Pavilion is completed after two years of work

Shakespeare and a ‘Seed Cathedral’ are highlighted in the UK Pavilion’s unveiled plans

Famous Portuguese pop singers are slated to perform on June 6, Portugal Day

General Motors chooses student reporters for its auto efforts in the SAIC-GM Pavilion

Participants

Spain to Cover Wicker Pavilion in Tiger Print

2/9/10 – Spain will offer its 2010 Chinese New Year’s greetings throughout the entire duration of the Expo – with its wicker pavilion exterior covered in a tiger “skin”. The steel frame of the 7,000 square meter Spain Pavilion, which is located in a prominent position on the bank of the Huangpu River near Lupu Bridge, will be colored with brown, beige and black panels, to create the look of a tiger.

[en.expo2010.cn]

China Pavilion Construction Completed

2/08/10 – Construction of the China Pavilion was completed Monday morning after two years of work. In the shape of an oriental crown, the main structure includes a six-layer, 30-meter-high roof made of traditional wooden brackets – 56 altogether, to symbolize the nation’s minority ethnic groups. Below the main structure is a 45,000-square-meter joint pavilion, featuring displays from local provinces, cities and regions. After the Expo, the 160,000-square-meter structure will be converted into a museum of Chinese history and culture.

[AFP, Shanghai Daily]

AA to be USA Pavilion Airline Passenger Sponsor

2/08/10 – American Airlines was announced as the exclusive airline (passenger) sponsor of the USA Pavilion on Monday, joining the group of corporate sponsors that have pledged to provide world-class expertise and services to showcase America’s best at the Expo. “Every day American Airlines is helping the peoples of the U.S. and China experience each other’s great countries and deepen their mutual understanding,” said Nick Winslow, President of the USA Pavilion. “We look forward to working with American Airlines to help Americans visit the Shanghai World Expo, and to inspire our Pavilion guests to come explore the USA.”

[Shanghai Expo 2010 Inc. News Flash]

Venezuela Pavilion Nears Planned Completion

2/6/10 – The Venezuela Pavilion plans to be finished before the Chinese Spring Festival (this year on February 14), said Issam Wahdan, head of construction, during the Pavilion’s roof-topping ceremony last Friday. The 3,000 square meter pavilion will look like a figure eight – an auspicious number in both China and Venezuela. The article mentions that in Venezuelan culture, “8” depicts “a gradual process of improvement, an endless journey, a boundless and limitless city, a new society which includes everyone and has democracy as its key element of development.” The pavilion’s theater will stage performances by the national orchestra and other stars. A plaza will feature an open air restaurant and sell many typical Venezuelan foods.

[en.expo2010.cn]

Sarkozy Looking Forward to Expo Visit

2/5/10 – French president Nicolas Sarkozy noted during a meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi at Elysee Palace that he is looking forward to attending the Shanghai Expo. The two sides reiterated that they attach great importance to their relationship and are ready to further enhance bilateral cooperation on major international and regional issues.

[english.cri.cn]

UK to Sow Seeds for the Expo

2/4/10 – The United Kingdom Pavilion’s exhibition plans were unveiled by a senior UK official Wednesday. The program will involve open-air performances, including works by William Shakespeare, and some star guests. With its theme, “Building on the past, shaping our future”, visitors will also be invited to watch, touch and recognize more than 60,000 seeds of different plants at the pavilion’s core exhibition. The 20-meter-high hollow cube-like structure, or “Seed Cathedral”, will be embedded with seeds in the walls and ceiling. Demonstrating the concept of sustainability, diversity of nature and potential of life, the seeds will be well-protected in the surrounding hair-like fibers, and can be planted after the Expo is over.

[Yang Jian / en.expo2010.cn]

Australia Unveils Exhibit on Indigenous Art

2/4/10 – The Australia Pavilion has picked ‘Bedrock’ as the first exhibit visitors will see to showcase Australia’s indigenous art. The stunning exhibit, designed by artists from Maningrida Arts and Culture in the Northern Territory, is designed to introduce visitors to Australia’s indigenous culture, said Lyndall Sachs, commissioner general for Australia. “‘Bedrock demonstrates a unique fusion of Australian traditional and contemporary art forms, and pays tribute to the important role indigenous art plays in Australia’s rich culture,” she added.

[en.expo2010.cn]

General Motors Selects Expo Student Reporters

2/4/10 – Three students from Tongji University will serve as student reporters for the SIAC-GM Pavilion after a three-month competition launched by General Motors. Having beat about 100 contestants, they will cover Expo-related activities for GM through videos, news stories, blogs and online interaction. Panel judges praised the winners for their impressive innovation, knowledge and eloquence. Visitors will get to see what vehicles may look like in 2030 in the auto pavilion, which is being built by the Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp and GM.

[Hu Min / en.expo2010.cn]

DLA Becomes Official Liverpool Sponsor

2/3/10 – Law firm DLA Piper is the latest company to become an official sponsor of the Liverpool Pavilion. The firm, which employs more than 400 people in the North West, is the first in its sector to sign up to showcase the region’s professional services at the event.

[Joanne Birtwistle / www.thebusinessdesk.com]

HK to Offer Fashion Shows and Film Debuts

2/3/10 – A press conference about “Hong Kong welcoming the 2010 Expo” in the region was given last Tuesday. About one million HK people are estimated to visit the Expo, Wang Jinzhen, a member of the National Organizing Committee of the Expo and vice chairman of China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, told the conference. Hong Kong will embrace its theme week during the Expo from October 18 to 22 with fashion shows and film debuts, he also said. There will be 47 cultural performances from the special administrative region during the fair, featuring Cantonese opera, Chinese and western music, multi-media shows and dance. The SAR will explore the theme “Hong Kong – the Infinite City,” with a focus on its transport network, advanced scientific facilities, financial and trade systems, multinational culture and sustainable high-quality urban life.

[Hu Min / en.expo2010.cn]

Construction of Macao Pavilion Completed

2/3/10 – Construction of the Macao Pavilion, “Lanterna do Coelhinho”, has been completed and is now in the process of decoration and exhibition preparation, Macao’s Office for Preparation at the Expo confirmed last Tuesday. The Macao Pavilion is covered by a double-layer glass membrane and fluorescent screens. Kinetic balloons will form the head and tail of the “rabbit”, which, in Chinese mythology, welcomes visitors into a magical fairyland. The Macao Pavilion will showcase the Macao Special Administrative Region’s (SAR) recent economic developments, and social and cultural achievements, through advanced multimedia technology and interactive features.

[China Daily]

Portuguese Pop Stars to Perform

2/2/10 – Famous Portuguese singers Mariza and Sonia Tavares will perform at the Expo for Portugal Day on June 6, said the Portuguese Commissariat last Monday. Programs celebrating Portugal Day will include the song “Arruada Minhota,” a folklore event and a performance by Zes Pereiras, a Portugese group from Viana do Castelo city. Sonia Tavares, vocalist for the pop band The Gift, will also perform at the show. The Portugal Pavilion’s core concepts of “a square of the world” and “a world of energies” is to promote the creativity and innovation of the Portuguese people and Portugal’s geo-strategic position as a port on the Atlantic Ocean.

[Xinhua News Agency]

General Info

Expo Emblems to Adorn Yu Garden Lantern Fair

2/8/10 – The colorful lanterns of the China Pavilion and the festooned lanterns in the Yuyuan Garden were seen during the trial illumination of the 2010 Shanghai Yuyuan Garden New Spring Folklore Artistic Lanterns Fair, in downtown Shanghai on Sunday. The fair will feature the theme protagonists of the Sheng xiao Tiger, and the Expo’s China Pavilion and mascot Haibao.

[Xinhua News Agency]

Haibao Embodies Five Theme Pavilions

2/6/10 – The Expo organizer unveiled five Haibao mascots last Friday for its Theme Pavilions — Urbanian Pavilion, City Being Pavilion and Urban Planets Pavilion in Pudong and the Future Pavilion and Footprint Pavilion in Puxi – allowing the host country to provide visuals for the event’s major theme, “Better City, Better Life.” The mascot for the Urbanian Pavilion is a Haibao family of three and the pavilion will feature stories about different families from around the world. A sporty Haibao is the mascot for the City Being Pavilion, symbolizing the city’s vitality. A forest sheriff Haibao represents the Urban Planets Pavilion, urging environmental protection. The Future Pavilion, showcasing urban life in years to come, has an astronaut Haibao, while the Footprint Pavilion about the history of a city has a Haibao dressed as a professor.

[Yang Jian / en.expo2010.cn]

Expo Looks Low-Carbon Ready

2/4/10 – The Expo will boast the largest solar-photovoltaic solution system in China, with 80 percent of the lighting at night generated by LED lights. Electric, super-capacitor and hydrogen cars will also be in use during the Expo to save fuel costs and cause less pollution. These measures will offset carbon emissions during the Expo by an estimated 60 to 70 percent.

[China Daily]

Expo-Themed Jewelry Auctions Held

2/2/10 – With the arrival of the Spring Festival, the Expo franchise offices and Lifestyle Diamond Joint Management Office announced that an exhibition-cum-auction of Expo-licensed products, including diamond jewelry, gold and gem stones, will be held on the eve of the Spring Festival. Nearly a thousand exhibit pieces were already put on display and auctioned, including 11 precious items, on Sunday. Seven Shanghai-based diamond jewelry companies have reached agreements to become Expo licensed product manufacturers and retailers, to make and sell diamond, gold and other jewelry items.

[NewsTrak Daily]